ICANN WHOIS Reform Proposal - Friday deadline for comments

[GeorgeK]

The deadline for comments to ICANN's WHOIS Reform Proposal is tomorrow (Friday), see:

https://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-08aug13-en.htm

for the report itself. My own comments (via email, not via their "SurveyMonkey" twisted questions) are at:

http://mm.icann.org/pipermail/input-to-ewg/2013/000021.html

You can see written comments by others at:

http://mm.icann.org/pipermail/input-to-ewg/2013/

(comments by LegitScript in particular, are great http://mm.icann.org/pipermail/input-to-ewg/2013/000015.html )

Basically, they propose to take the current *public* WHOIS database (in the public domain), and centralize it with a monopolist (under contract with ICANN, hint hint, follow the money), who would then provide gated access to the underlying data (with "terms of service", and fees). It's a joke. It would break many tools, and also eliminate the innovative users of data like DomainTools and WHOISology, as examples.

As big users of WHOIS, domainers would definitely feel an impact. There'd be barriers on accessing the data you need to run your business (e.g. contacting buyers, sellers, conducting research, investigations, etc.). Indeed, you might even be barred from usage of the database, without recourse, since it is a monopolist. Your own use of the WHOIS would be monitored, and perhaps even be sold to others. Even worse, it might be harder for others to find you, if you rely upon domain name sales and inquiries from the public WHOIS (and of course, public WHOIS inquiries are often the best leads, compared to those just surfing to a website).

This report is truly an appalling piece of garbage, lacking any empirical data (i.e. numbers) to back it up. It's no wonder they released it at the beginning of the summer, and wanted most comments received before the end of the summer -- that's when you "bury" things to avoid public scrutiny. ICANN claims to be "bottom-up" and "consensus-driven", but this is pure "top-down" work.

The report is only 49 pages long, double-spaced, and can be quickly skimmed through (especially since there are charts/tables, and lots of typical self-promoting and biased buzzwords that mean nothing). It might be worth your while to spend a few minutes to look it over, and submit comments (via email to [email protected] is probably best, to not get ignored via their self-serving survey).

 

[bargaindomains]

I'm annoyed at the current confirm email for every new domain.

So if I order 100 domains I would get 100 confirm emails I would need to click, absolutely a joke I would of thought that an account confirmation with a list of domains 1 click and all confirmed would be a better option.

I totally get the security trying to stop phishing scams using domain names, but most hackers user web server application exploits rather than setting up new domains etc.

 

[Theo]

bargain - you only confirm emails, not domains. If you reuse an email (at the same registrar) then confirmation for that particular email address is only needed once.

 

[draggar]

Do they use your WhoIs email address or the email you have set up with your registrar?

 

[Theo]

Do they use your WhoIs email address or the email you have set up with your registrar?

The confirmation is related to the WHOIS/registrant data and email. So if you register domain A under [email protected] and domain B under [email protected] these are two distinct confirmations. Further use of these two emails, however, won't generate additional confirmation requests.

 

[Focus]

Dear ICANN, stop ruining the Internet.

Thank you, sincerely.

Chris